Gender Theory and the Law

This course will cover the application of gender theory to contemporary legal issues such as sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement, the intersection of race and gender in political and workplace identities, the construction of masculinity in competitive workplace cultures, the tensions between gender equality and protection of caretaking roles in the family, the rise of gender fluid identities, the unprecedented political gender gap among millennials, and the growing gender pay gap in the most elite parts of the American economy. In examining these legal issues, the course will revisit feminist and masculinities theories, consider the sources of gender identity and traits, and examine developments in Title IX, employment discrimination, criminal, and family law.